Melt With You: Fated, Book 4 (7 page)

 
     
It was also going to be a special night in
his personal life, if he could get over his nerves and do what he’d been
planning for the last month.

 
     
Slipping his hand into his tuxedo jacket,
he curled his fingers around the black velvet box nestled within. His palms
were sweaty, and his heart raced.

 
     
God, what if she said no…

       
The
music stopped and everyone applauded the bride and groom, startling Wes from
his thoughts. Smiling down at
Lanie
, he let her lead
him onto the dance floor along with the dozen or so other swarming couples who
all turned to each other and began swaying to the music.

 
     
“You look very handsome.” She brushed
delicate fingers across his lapel, admiration tingeing her voice. “You should
wear a tux every day.”

 
     
“I’d get too much attention at work,” he
joked.

 
     
She frowned. “Maybe that’s not such a good
idea.”

 
     
“I could come up with another reason for
wearing a tux again.” He purposely kept his voice light, but inside he was so
nervous he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get the words out right.

 
     
“Oh, really?
Maybe you could keep the bowtie somehow.” She smiled and leaned in close. She
wore heels, which put her right on level with his ear and she took advantage of
her newfound height. “And wear just the tie and nothing else to bed,” she
whispered in his ear.

 
     
Ah, shit. He needed to focus. Not get
distracted by her vivid imagination. “Great idea but I had something else in
mind.”

 
     
“Like what?” She dropped a light kiss on
his ear before she shifted so their gazes met.

 
     
“Like maybe we could have our own wedding
ceremony.” Reaching into his jacket pocket, he withdrew the little box and held
it in front of her.

       
Lanie
stopped moving as did he, her eyes wide, her lips
parted. “What is that?” She flicked her gaze up to his.

 
     
“Open it and find out.” His throat was
tight, clogged with emotion as he watched her grab the box and pop it open with
shaking fingers.

 
     
“Oh.” She stared at the sparkling diamond
engagement ring nestled within the black velvet box. He’d kept the ring simple,
a round solitaire set on a platinum band.

 
     
When she looked up at him once more, her
eyes were filled with unshed tears. “It’s beautiful.”

 
     
“I want you to be my wife,
Lanie
.” He plucked the ring from the box and reached for
her left hand, giving it a squeeze. “Will you marry me?” She nodded, a tiny sob
escaping her. “Yes. Yes, of course I’ll marry you.” With a shaky smile he
slipped the ring on her finger then drew her in close, holding her so tight he
was afraid he’d crush her. She squeezed him just as hard, her face pressed
against his shirtfront. Her tears dampened his shirt and he drew her away from
him, reaching out to wipe away the tears that slid down her cheeks with the pad
of his thumb.

 
     
“Don’t cry, baby. This is a good thing.”
It killed him to see her cry. His heart literally hurt, thinking he made her
sad.

 
     
She smiled and laughed, the tears still
flowing. “It’s a good cry, trust me.” He tipped up her chin with his index
finger, and then pressed a gentle kiss to her parted lips. “I love you.”

       
“I
love you too.” She released a trembling breath and kissed him again. “I need to
call my folks.”

 
     
“They already know.”

 
     
“What?”

 
     
“I asked for their permission to marry you
last week.” Her parents were old-fashioned, and he figured it was the right
thing to do. Bad enough he ravished their daughter on a nightly basis until the
both of them couldn’t function.

 
     
He had to do the honorable thing—he wasn’t
about to ask her to move in with him no matter how bad he’d wanted to make that
happen. He knew her, understood her background and realized she wouldn’t settle
for nothing less but a ring and marriage and the whole nine yards.

 
     
And he was that gone enough over her that
he had no problem whatsoever giving her exactly that as best he could.

 
     
“You are so sweet.” She clutched him,
tipping her head back for another kiss, which he offered most willingly. “Now
let’s get out of here.”

 
     
“The reception isn’t even finished yet.”
He glanced about the room, at the many people still sitting at the tables, at
the oblivious couples crowding the dance floor who had no idea he’d just made
Lanie
his fiancé.

 
     
“I know.” She smiled wickedly. “Let’s go
up to our hotel room and celebrate our engagement. Alone.”

 
     
The reception was at a gorgeous hotel on
the coast and most of the wedding guests were staying the night.

       
“Sounds good to me.”
He took her hand and hurriedly led her
off the dance floor, earning a giggle from
Lanie
for
his efforts.

 
     
“You don’t think the married couple will
be offended that we blew out early?”

 
     
“Nah, I told Evan what I was going to do.”
He shot her a mischievous smile, and she socked in the arm in return.

 
     
“So you told everyone what was going on
except me?” They strode hand in hand down the wide hall. A bank of elevators
was in the distance. “You know now, don’t you? And aren’t you happy?” She
smiled, her cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling. In her gorgeous pale blue dress
that skimmed her curves and the sexy heels that made him want to nibble her
toes, she’d never looked sexier. “Oh, I’m definitely happy.” He waggled his
eyebrows. “And you’re about to get a lot happier in a few minutes.”

 
     
Lanie
giggled
again.
“Promise?”

 
     
“I promise.”

 
     
Karen Erickson has always loved the
written word. From being one of the best readers in her kindergarten class to
penning romantic stories that never ended about her favorite band members
(Duran Duran) in high school, she always wanted to write. It just took her a
while to seriously pursue it.

 
     
With the birth of her third child came a
realization –
it’s
one thing to talk about writing a
book, another thing entirely to actually do it. First published in 2006, she’s
gone on to write over 30 erotic and sensual romance titles for e-publishers
including
Samhain
Publishing,
Ellora’s
Cave and Carina Press.

 
     
On a personal note she’s a native
Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and
three children. Oh and the dog, the cats, the rooster and the chickens…

 
     
To learn more about Karen, visit her
online:

 
     
www.karenerickson.com

 
     
Blog:
www.karenerickson.blogspot.com
 

 
     
Group Blog:
www.smutketeers.com
 

 
     
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/karenericksonwritesromance

       
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/karenerickson
 

Simple Twist of Fate
(Fated)

Notorious (Playing
With Fire)

Lessons in
Indiscretion (The Merry Widows)

Indulgent Pleasures

Fallen

Baby, Don’t Lose My
Number (Fated)

A Very Sexy
Christmas

My Favorite Mistake
(Tahoe Nights)

Scandalous (Playing
With Fire)

Under My Umbrella
(Fated)

Tangled (Playing
With Fire)

Forbidden (Playing
With Fire)